Gruden talks draft

Some quick conference call hits from ESPN analyst and former Raiders and Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden on the NFL draft:

Which quarterbacks would be intriguing for Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who worked under Gruden in Tampa Bay . . .

Gruden: I think Greg Olson is like a lot of NFL coaches today: you’re looking for a quarterback that can run any play that you dream up. That’s the beauty of Russell Wilson. He can run read options, speed options. He can run a west coast offense. He can run any play you dream up. You’re seeing more and more of the dual threats becoming a force in the NFL with (Colin) Kaepernick, obviously Cam Newton. You’re seeing quarterbacks being coveted that can run it, throw it, run an up-tempo style. (Blake) Bortles from Central Florida. Bortles did a lot of options, drop-back stuff in the pro-style system. I can see Olson liking Johnny Manziel. Greg Olson is a guy with tremendous imagination. I can see him liking a lot of these quarterbacks.

Thoughts on Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel . . .

Gruden:: I don’t have any concerns. I want Manziel. I realize he’s under six feet tall. Maybe he can’t see over the line. We blew that theory in the water last year with (Russell) Wilson and (Drew) Brees. I know he can learn. I spent two days with him, and I know he wants to learn. He had four different offensive coordinators at Texas A&M. He had two different head coaches. It didn’t matter. He adapted and did extremely well. This is the first Heisman Trophy winner as a freshman. In two years at Texas A&M, he had the most productive back-to-back seasons in SEC history. I don’t know what you want him to do. He threw for eight thousand, ran for two thousand, he has 93 touchdowns. All I know is I want Manziel.

The chance of Manziel slipping all the way to No. 18 and the New York Jets . . .

Gruden: If Johnny Manziel is there at No. 18, I’ll give you my cell phone number and I’ll take you out to a steak dinner.

Whether there is a clear cut No. 1 pick in the draft . . .

Gruden: To me the first pick of the draft, the sure-fire Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, I don’t know that that player is in this draft. You’re dealing with more underclassmen than I can ever remember. If you’re talking (Jadeveon) Clowney, (Johnny) Manziel, Sammy Watkins, even some of the underclassmen linemen, Greg Robinson. So it’s a crapshoot. This is not a complete body of work to evaluate. You have to use your imagination, be able to see down the road a bit. There is no sure-fire, can’t-miss No. 1 in anybody’s world, but there are some great prospects.

The possibility of over-analysis with the draft being so late this year . . .

Gruden: The longer you stir the stew, the longer you have a tendency to screw it up. This draft needs to take place quickly. We’ve had first, second and third analysis done on just about every factors from doctors to psychiatrists, the short shuttles, film study, the individual workouts and combines. I think everybody is ready to draft them.

The character of Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins . . .

Gruden: I think what sets Sammy apart is his sincerity and passion for the game. Everyone I’ve talked to has come away very impressed with Watkins’ passion to be great and to put forth a tremendous work ethic.

Gruden: I’ve done a lot of individual workouts in my past as a receiver coach, as a quarterback coach, even as a head coach. If the player didn’t work that well for me, I didn’t move them down, I took them off our board. So if you’re not having good individual workouts, if you don’t have a good pro workout, that’s part of the evaluation process. You’re going to be moved down or potentially off some people’s boards. I’d be concerned if I were any person and I didn’t have good private workouts or I had a typically bad pro day.

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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I think the Raiders would be better off firing Reggie right now than letting him mangle another draft.

Purvisman/Eternal Optimist

Pushing downright hot, but beauty, too.

IAmAlwaysWrong

Scott Bair‏@BairCSN 42m

RM said Tyvon Branch is fully healthy and ready for the offseason program.

RM: offseason is working out well…”This year, we will be better.”

Scott Bair‏@BairCSN 41 mins

As expected, #Raiders will try Austin Howard at RG…can always move him back if an RT doesn’t emerge.

marks hair

Macks the kind of mistake I’d expect from the jags

BigBenRexor

Sure sounds like people are crying about it, it’s been a premeditated excuse since it was annoucned that we’re playing the NFCW.

0ak R8rs

As soon as you leave.

RediaR

Meh, teams rise, teams fall. If the teams stay at their same level from last year the schedule is brutal. Fortunately that is never the case.

R8erEduc8er

Your caps lock is on. You’re welcome.

IVRaider

Well I look at the Chief and Charger games as considerably more winnable than they were last season, based on the current rosters. So I don’t think that is why the schedule is tougher. The schedule is tougher because teh NFC West is way better than the NFC East.

marks hair

Save the Raiders. Draft John Football.

AutumnThunderstorm

Rip the phone lines out of the wall, taking sledge hammer to everyone’s smart phone.

They can buy new ones later in the day.

The Ghost of Dave Casper

I think I’d rather have Donald or Evans and more picks than Mack and no additional picks, but I’d be happy with Mack too. I can’t believe we have to wait another week for this nonsense.

IAmAlwaysWrong

I used WR as example, & McKenzie said wouldn’t pass on player just because position’s especially deep. “I would rather have great than good”
***
I stand corrected. Sammy Watkins is in play!! #wastedpick

0ak R8rs

I get that. But according to last years numbers it’s the toughest this year. And the flying the first month. Just stating facts as they r today.

FourMoreYears

+ 1000

R8erEduc8er

Looking forward to seeing what Branch can do. Make or break season for him also.

BigBenRexor

I guess we’ll see if Justin Tuck and Lamar Woodley are the remedy to our Screen stopping problems that plauged us vs the Chiefs.

FourMoreYears

I changed my prediction to nine wins too. It’s the only way I can get myself excited for the upcoming season.

RediaR

I’ll lend them my phone if they can come up with a good reason to trade up into the first. Otherwise, send an intern out on a phone run after the first round is over.

0ak R8rs

Well I’m not. Luck of the draw. You play a rotating schedule of 2 divisions each year. This year we got two tough ones. Last year we drew the NFC east, and the AFC south and fcked it up anyway. Every year is different.

AutumnThunderstorm

Only after a trade down wherein we get a first in 2015 as well as this year.

BigBenRexor

Not for us, for the past two years it’s been the same around here. But after settling all debt, clean books, largest cap space in the NFL, full round of draft picks, if you can’t confidently predict that we’ll win more than 7 games because of the schedule, then something is WRONG

Snakebite

Reg has already saved the Raiders. Johnny would be the icing on the cake.

0ak R8rs

Haha. Picks r tempting. But we need an impact guy. A TD scorer or a TO creator. Watkins and Mack can both be that. Plus, I don’t really trust Reggie w the picks. His maneuvering is fine, picks not so much. Just take the “sure thing” so he can’t fck up later IMO.

IVRaider

Without three of the linemen that were blocking on those screens, I bet they are. Pretty significant losses IMO.

marks hair

Good kool aid in your bong today?

The Ghost of Dave Casper

If we can’t hope for the best now, when can we? I’ll be tempted to revise if he botches this draft though.

Snakebite

I would agree. Branch is nice but we still need to draft a safety at some point.

0ak R8rs

Eh. Not really. Still a bunch of new starters on defense. Yet another new starting QB. Lost our LT, another position that you hope to keep the same year after year. Football is a team sport. It takes chemistry and the right attitudes. No way to predict this year IMO. We could win 6 or 10 or somewhere in between.

RediaR

Or the fart to the candles that lights the drapes on fire and takes down the entire house.

The Ghost of Dave Casper

Lmao

Snakebite

I believe we have more pro bowlers on our team than any one in the AFCWest. Hum.

RediaR

Yeah but more of the deep, ball-hawking type than the Branch type. I have no confidence in anyone in this draft to be that kind of guy.

FourMoreYears

Schedule is no excuse. Guess what, every team in the playoffs is good.

Mayock said he has 10 QBs with a 1st, 2nd, 3rd round grade for this draft. More than he has ever seen at that level – NFL.com

BigBenRexor

Nah, I think the NFL hates us. It’s not just the Playoff teams, we have to play on the Road too.

RediaR

Pretty much. The goal is to be able to win playoff games and ultimately the Superbowl anyway. Every game should be winnable. We wont win every game, but damnit we should go into every game thinking we have a chance, and be right.

IAmAlwaysWrong

did Teddy even crack the Top 10 ??

0ak R8rs

QB is deep in this draft. Just like many other positions. Just no top end talent at QB.

RediaR

Hmm ….
Kool aid in a bong….

FourMoreYears

“I’m not locked in here with you. YOU’RE LOCKED IN HERE WITH ME!”

FourMoreYears

Jesus! Next thing you’ll tell me we have to give the other team a chance to score too!

PlunkforHOF

Tried lots of things in bongs, but never Kool Aid. Not sure I even have a bong anymore.